degraden.
/dɪˈɡreɪd/ A piece of timber containing defects; also, the production of defects resulting in a lowering of the ‘grade’ or quality of the timber.
ΚΠ
1922 R. C. Bryant Lumber 242 This practice..has the disadvantage of producing a higher per cent of ‘degrades’, because the lumber as it leaves the kiln is bone-dry.
1953 Oxf. Univ. Gaz. 7 Aug. 1202/1 A thesis entitled ‘A study of degrade in oak logs due to “ambrosia” beetles’.
1970 Timber Trades Jrnl. 21 Mar. 61/1 Strips 4½ in. wide by 1 in. thick have been dried without excessive degrade at starting temperatures up to 66°C..coupled with an initial humidity of 75%.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
degradev.
/dɪˈɡreɪd/ 1. transitive. To reduce from a higher to a lower rank, to depose from (†of) a position of honour or estimation.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > degrading or debasement > degrade [verb (transitive)] > from a position of estimation
degradec1325
disstate1614
c1325 Song of Yesterday 11 in Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 133 Hou sone þat god hem may degrade.
a1400–50 Alexander 2670 Darye..semblis his knyȝtis..And gessis him wele..to degrayd þe grekis maistir.
1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 175 Schyr Ihon the Balleoll..was king bot a litill quhile..degradyt syne wes he Off honour and off dignite.
a1640 P. Massinger Parl. of Love (1976) v. i. 441 Thou dost degrade thie self of all the honors Thie ancestors left thee.
1641 Sir E. Dering in J. Rushworth Hist. Coll.: Third Pt. (1692) I. 295 Neither you here, nor Mr. Speaker in the House can degrade any one of us from these Seats.
1662 E. Stillingfleet Origines Sacræ iii. iii. §2 They degraded him from the very title of a Philosopher.
1788 T. Reid Aristotle's Logic iv. §3. 80 An affirmative may be degraded into a negative.
1874 J. G. Holland Mistress of Manse xii. 56 Change That would degrade her to a thing Of homely use and household care.
1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches II. iii. vii. 342 The man who made this boast was himself degraded from his high estate.
2.
a. spec. To depose (a person) formally from his degree, rank, or position of honour as an act of punishment, as to degrade a knight, a military officer, a graduate of a university.Cf. disgrade v., which in 15–16th centuries was the more usual word to express legal and formal degradation.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > degrading or debasement > degrade [verb (transitive)] > as punishment
disgradec1430
degrade1508
1508 W. Kennedy Flyting (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems W. Dunbar (1998) I. 213 I sall degrade the, graceles, of thy greis.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 12576 The grekes..Ordant hym Emperour by opon assent, And Agamynon degrated of his degre þan.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) iv. i. 43 He then..Doth but vsurpe the Sacred name of Knight..And should..Be quite degraded, like a Hedge-borne Swaine. View more context for this quotation
1621 H. Elsynge Notes Deb. House of Lords (1870) 65 Whether Sr Fra. Michell shalbe degraded of his knighthood for parte of his punishment or noe?
1628 J. Mede Let. 15 Nov. in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1824) 1st Ser. III. 277 His censure was to be degraded both from his ministry and degrees taken in the University.
1709 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1886) II. 206 The University of Dublin having expell'd and degraded Mr. Forbes.
1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) III. 351 The soldier who..is guilty of any other act of cowardice, should be degraded into the rank of a husbandman or artisan.
b. To inflict ecclesiastical degradation upon; to deprive of his orders.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > worship > sacrament > order > ordination > unfrocking > unfrock [verb (transitive)]
unhodeOE
disordain1297
disgradec1380
degrade1395
deprivec1400
inhibit1531
disorder1570
disbishop1585
defrock1600
uncassock1645
desecrate1674
unfrockify1694
unclergy1695
undignify1702
unordain1709
unfrock?a1750
disfrock1877
disgown1887
ungown1895
1395 J. Purvey Remonstr. (1851) 37 He that..blasfemith God in othere manere be deposid or degratid if he is a clerk.
1480 W. Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxlvii. 313 The first day of march after was sir william taillour preest degrated of his preesthode.
1555 W. Waterman tr. J. Boemus Fardle of Facions ii. xii. 268 To the Bisshoppe was giuen authoritie..to put Priestes from the Priesthode: and to degrade theim, when thei deserue it.
1681 R. Baxter Apol. Nonconformists Ministry 39 Magistrates might degrade ministers.
1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity II. x. 268 A priest could not be degraded but by eight bishops.
1882 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. II. 284 He was formally degraded from the priesthood.
3. To lower in estimation; to bring into dishonour or contempt.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disrepute > damage to reputation > degrading or debasement > degrade [verb (transitive)]
vile1297
supplanta1382
to bring lowa1387
revilea1393
gradea1400
villain1412
abject?a1439
to-gradea1440
vilifyc1450
villainy1483
disparage1496
degradea1500
deject?1521
disgraduate1528
disgress1528
regrade1534
base1538
diminute1575
lessen1579
to turn down1581
to pitch (a person) over the bar?1593
disesteem1594
degender1596
unnoble1598
disrank1599
reduce1599
couch1602
disthrone1603
displume1606
unplume1621
disnoble1622
disworth?1623
villainize1623
unglory1626
ungraduate1633
disennoble1645
vilicate1646
degraduate1649
bemean1651
deplume1651
lower1653
cheapen1654
dethrone1659
diminish1667
scoundrel1701
sink1706
demean1715
abjectate1731
unglorifya1740
unmagnify1747
undignify1768
to take the shine out of (less frequently from, U.S. off)1819
dishero1838
misdemean1843
downgrade1892
demote1919
objectify1973
a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 749 Hyme thoght that it his worschip wold degrade.
1575 J. Rolland Treat. Court Venus iv. f. 60 Ladie Venus ȝe sall neuer degraid, In word, nor deid, nor neuer do hir deir.
1771 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra (1772) II. liv. 234 I will not insult his misfortunes by a comparison that would degrade him.
1844 R. W. Emerson Young Amer. in Lect. in Wks. (1906) II. 306 The aristocracy incorporated by law and education, degrades life for the unprivileged classes.
4.
a. To lower in character or quality; to debase.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > worse > [verb (transitive)] > in quality or character
defade1423
debase1569
deteriorate1572
welk1579
bastardize1587
invile1599
winter1622
disimprove1642
degenerate1645
deterior1646
imbastardize1649
degrade1652
honeycomb1821
travesty1825
1652 T. Froysell Gale of Opportunity Ep. Ded. sig. A3 At this news the proud Ruffler is sodainly dismounted, and his courage degraded.
1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Degrade..to reduce from a higher to a lower state, with respect to qualities.
1762 O. Goldsmith Citizen of World II. 213 How low avarice can degrade human nature.
1784 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations (ed. 3) II. iv. viii. 500 English wool cannot be even so mixed with Spanish wool as to enter into the composition without spoiling and degrading, in some degree, the fabric of the cloth.
1857 C. Kingsley Two Years Ago III. vii. 201 So will an unhealthy craving degrade a man.
1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 41 This custom has been the ruin of the poets, and has degraded the theatre.
b. To lower or reduce in price, strength, purity, etc.; to reduce or tone down in colour (cf. degradation n.2).
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [verb (transitive)] > tone down
dilute1665
mellow1694
break1753
sadden1787
sober1843
degrade1844
disintensify1884
scumble1905
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > worse > [verb (transitive)] > other
submitc1425
qualify1584
degrade1844
society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > fluctuation in price > [verb (transitive)] > lower (price)
weaken1530
mitigate1542
abase1551
fall1564
to beat the price1591
to bring down1600
to fetch down1841
degrade1844
to roll back1942
1844 R. Cobden Speeches (1878) 73 He proposed to degrade prices instead of aiming to sustain them.
1855 F. B. Palliser tr. J. Labarte Handbk. Arts Middle Ages & Renaissance ii. 72 How to degrade the tones with this single enamel colour.
1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts I. 320/1 To prevent its greenish tint degrading the brilliancy of dyed stuffs, or the purity of whites.
5.
Thesaurus »
Categories »
a. Biology. To reduce to a lower and less complex organic type.
Categories »
b. Physics. To reduce (energy) to a form less capable of transformation.
c. Optics. To lower in position in the spectrum; to diminish the refrangibility of (a ray of light) as by the action of a fluorescent substance.
ΚΠ
1862 [implied in: C. Darwin On Var. Contrivances Orchids Fertilised vi. 271 The pollen grains..in all other genera, excepting the degraded Cephalanthera. (at degraded adj.1 2)].
1870 G. Rolleston Forms Animal Life 139 Annelids degraded by the special habit of parasitism.
1876 P. G. Tait Lect. Recent Adv. in Physical Sci. vi. 146 Degraded energy meaning energy less capable of being transformed than before.
d. Chemistry and Biochemistry. To make (a molecule) simpler in structure; to split into a number of simpler molecules.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > chemistry > chemical reactions or processes > subject to chemical reactions or processes [verb (transitive)] > degrade
degrade1935
1935 R. S. Tipson & E. T. Stiller in B. Harrow & C. P. Sherwin Textbk. Biochem. ii. 85 Zemplén has used a fundamentally different method to decide the point of union of the two hexose units in a reducing disaccharide. By degrading the reducing component till it no longer forms an osazone, he has determined the constitution of lactose..and other sugars.
1958 D. W. G. Ballentyne & L. E. Q. Walker Dict. Named Effects 192 Weerman degradation. An α hydroxy or α methoxy amide may be degraded to an aldehyde containing one less carbon atom by the action of a cold aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite.
1963 Union Carbide Stockholder News Sept. 1/1 The detergents..can be quickly destroyed or degraded in sewage systems to non-detergent-like products.
1970 Nature 26 Dec. 1313/1 Most body proteins are continually degraded and resynthesized. The protein content of various organs must represent the net balance between synthesis and degradation over some period of time.
6. Geology. To wear down (rocks, strata, cliffs, etc.) by surface abrasion or disintegration.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > formation of features > erosion or weathering > erode [verb (transitive)]
corrade1646
corrode1652
degrade1812
erode1830
1812 H. Davy Elements Chem. Philos. 101 These agents [water and air] gradually..decompose and degrade the exterior of strata.
1863 A. C. Ramsay Physical Geol. & Geogr. Great Brit. (1878) i. 6 The quantity of material degraded and spread in the sea by these united means is immense.
7. intransitive. To descend to a lower grade or type; to exhibit a degradation of type or structure; to degenerate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > worse > [verb (intransitive)] > in rank or condition
shrivel1588
degrade1850
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam cxxvi. 197 No doubt vast eddies in the flood, Of onward time shall yet be made, And throned races may degrade . View more context for this quotation
1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies ii. 77 If he says that things cannot degrade, that is, change downwards into lower forms.
a1864 Dana in Webster s.v. A family of plants or animals degrades through this or that genus or group of genera.
8.
a. Cambridge University. To postpone entering the examination in honours for the degree of B.A. for one year beyond the statutory time; also occasionally at Oxford University. (Now disused.) Now at Cambridge, to take a specified examination when one is above the standing prescribed for it.
ΚΠ
1829 Cambr. Univ. Cal. (1857) 24 That no person who has degraded be permitted, etc.
1869 Daily News 13 Nov. To grant permission to students who have degraded or who wish to degrade to become candidates for University scholarships or for any other academical honours during their undergraduateship.
1880 Eagle (St. John's Coll., Cambr.) XI. 189 G. S., Scholar, has obtained permission to ‘degrade’ to the Tripos of 1881.
1906 Oxf. Univ. Gaz. 29 May 654/2 John O. Aglionby..was granted permission to degrade till Trinity Term, 1907, and to offer Modern History.
b. See quot. 1883; at Oxford University, to supplicate for a lower degree than that for which one originally entered.
ΚΠ
1883 Encycl. Dic. Degrade,..to take a lower degree than one is entitled to;..to descend from a higher to a lower class.
1921 Oxford Univ. Registry Acc. Bks. 4 Nov. (MS.) Wing, J. L... Degrading to B.Litt. £1.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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